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Guemes Island

Guemes Island is one of the San Juan Islands of Washington state, and possibly one of the most casual, relaxed place to be in all the Islands. Located north of the town of Anacortes on Fidalgo Island, Guemes is just over 8 square miles with somewhere around 600 year-round residents.

A Skagit County Ferry carries a handful of cars from the ferry dock in Anacortes to the Island, a crossing that takes only about 5 minutes and leaves approximately every half hour during the day.

This island, being much less populated than the other islands, has fewer available services than the other islands. There is a library, a church, a not-for-profit, print newspaper (run by volunteers), one resort and one general store (where the motto is "If we don't have it, we'll explain how you can get along without it ...."). In any case, though, it's only a very short trip to the mainland where you can pick up anything you need.

One thing that is not often mentioned regarding this area is the weird "magnetic disturbance" that causes compasses to veer off their settings by 14 degrees. No one has explained why this happens, it just does. Be aware of this if you're traveling through the waters around the Island!